Single-delivery toothpick-holder.



W. G. McKAY.

SINGLE DELIVERY TOOTHPICK HOLDER. APPLICATION. EILED JULY 22, 2918.

1,296,986. Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

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, Maw/15 SINGLE-DELIVERY TOOTHPICK-HOLDER.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

Application filed July 22, 1918. Serial No. 246,186.

To all whom it may concern:

ing at Casper, in the county of Natrona and State of Wyoming, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements 111 Smgle- DeliveryToothpick-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to tooth pick holders and has'for its object toprovide a comparatively simple and inexpensive device of this character,the construction of which is such as to permit the removal of but onetooth pick at a time. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a single delivery toothpick holder which will obviate the necessity of manually handling theactive or pointed ends of the picks to effect the removal thereof fromthe holder, thus rendering the device thoroughly sanitary and insuringthe delivery of unsoiled picks.

A further object is to provide a holder including a receptacle having acurved bottom provided with ribs upon which the picks are supported,there being a discharge slot on each side of the holder and a fingeropening or slot extending transversely of the cover and intersecting thedischarge slots so as to permit theremoval of tooth picks from eitherside of the holder. A

still further object of the invention is genorally to improve this classof devices so as toincrease their utility, durability and efliciency. V

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds. Inthe drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment .of theinvention, and

wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views:

Figure 1 is aperspective View of a singledelivery tooth pick holderconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in thefollowing descriptionand inclicated in all the views of the drawings by the same referencecharacters.

The improved tooth pick holder forming the subject-matter of the presentinvention and molded or otherwise formed from glass or other suitablematerial.

The end walls 6 of the receptacle are pref erably straight while theside walls 7 thereof are formed with laterally extending base flanges 8,the base of the holder being prefers ably hollowed or cored out, asindicated at UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE;

9, so'that the flanges 8 form, in efi'ect,'supporting legs for thereceptacle.

' The bottom of the receptacle is curved transversely, as indicated at10, and provided with spaced inwardly extending ribs 11 upon which thetooth picks 12 are supported. The upper portions of the side walls 7 areprovided with longitudinal slots 13 through which the tooth picks aredischarged, there being thumb openings 14 formed'in the side walls? andintersecting the slots 13, as shown. The receptacle is provided with acover 15' having a transverse finger opening 16 formed therein andextending entirely across the cover, said opening being disposed inalinement with the thumb openings l iso as to permit the insertion ofthe finger from either side of the receptacle when removing a tooth picktherefrom. The opposite longitudinal edges of the cover 15 preferablyoverhang the discharge slots 13 to form flanges or abutments downwardlyand thus facilitate their -removal from the holder." The walls of theopenings. lt are also preferably inclined or beveled at 19 toaccommodate the *thumb of the user and so as not to ofier any sharpcorners or projections for contact with the thumb. The ribs 11 serve tosupport the tooth picks in spaced relation to the curved bottom wall 10of the receptacle, as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, so thatafter nearly all of the tooth picks have been removed from thereceptacle the remaining few toothpicks will be supported in elevatedposition above the bottom 10 thereof and in position to be convenientlygrasped by the user. The upper ends of the ribs 11 are preferablytapered and gradually merged into the side walls, as indicated at 20, soas to assist in guiding the tooth picks to the discharge openings.

the receptacle with the thumb disposed at the opening let and in whichposition one of the tooth picks within the receptacle may be readilygrasped. By imparting a slight lateral movement to the tooth pick, thelatter will. be forced upwardly against the cover at the flange 17 andthen by exerting a slight downward pressure on the tooth pick it Will bedischarged through the adjacent slot 13, the beveled face 18 of the 7slot serving to direct the tooth pick downtooth picks assured.

wardly and'facilitate its discharge, as before stated. I

It will here be noted that the cover 15 serves to effectually house andprotect the pointed ends of the tooth picks and inasmuch as theintermediate portions of the picks are grasped in the act of removingthe picks from the holder it follows that manual handling of the pointedends of the 7 picks is obviated and delivery of unsoiled As thereceptacle is preferably formed of glass, it may be readily kept cleanand sanitary at all times. It will here be noted that owing to the factthat the finger opening 16 extends entirely across the top of the cover,the toothpicks may be readily removed from the receptacle, regardless ofthe position of the receptacle with respect to the user.

While the holder is preferably rectangular in shape it will, of course,be understood that said holder may be of any other desirable or suitableshape without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will alsobe understood that the device may be used with equally good results fordispensing matches, straws and other commodities.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a receptacle having acover and provided with oppositely disposed discharge slots, the bottomof the receptacle being stationary and curved transversely in thedirection of said slots, there being a trans verse finger opening formedin the cover and intersecting the discharge slots.

2. A device of the class described com- Gopies of this patent may beobtained for prising a receptacle having a curved bottom and providedwith oppositely disposed dis-' charge slots, there being thumb openingsformed in the side walls of the receptacleat 'said slots, spacedsupporting ribs projecting inwardly from the bottom of the receptacleand conforming to theshapethereof, and a cover for the receptacle havinga transverse finger opening intersecting the slots and disposed inalinement with the thumb openings. 7 3. A device of the class describedcomprising a receptacle having its oppositeside walls provided withlongitudinal slots and thumb openings intersectingsaid slots, and acover for the receptacle having its opposite longitudinal edgesoverhanging the discharge slots and its'intermediate portion providedwitha transverse finger opening intersecting the slots and disposed inalinement with the thumb openings. f

4%. A device ,of the class described comprising a. substantiallyrectangular receptacle having its opposite side walls provided 7 withlongitudinally disposed discharge slots and having thumb openings formedin said;

walls and communicating with the slots, the walls of thedischarge slotsand thumb openings being inclined downwardly, a cover 7 having itsopposite longitudinal edges overhanging the adjacent discharge slots'and provided with a transverse finger opening extending entirely acrossthe cover and'disposed in alinement with the thumb open-' tended in astraight line over and beyond the adjacent discharge slots and itsintermediate portion provided with a transverse finger opening extendingentirely acrossthe cover at the thumb openings and communicatingtherewith, the walls of the discharge slots and thumb openings beinginclined downwardly, there being a filling opening formed in one wall ofthe receptacle and a closure for said filling opening. 7

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. 7 1

WALTER GORDON MGKAY. V [In 8-] five cents each, by addressing theCommissioner of Pat ents, Washington, D. G. V

